Mental spine

Mental spine

The mental spine is a small projection of bone on the posterior aspect of the mandible (jaw bone) in the midline. It is also known as the genial tubercle, genial apophysis and the Latin name spinae mentalis. The mental spine is the point of origin of the geniohyoid muscle, one of the suprahyoid muscles and the origin of the genioglossus muscle, one of the muscles of the tongue.